The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-10-21


This is pre-eminently corn county.
The past season was most unfavOr-
able one and yet our corn crop is esti-
mated at 1000. $50 bushels, which is
about one-third of the product that a
good season would have given. For
the reason. therefore, that it grows so
well and yields SO largely. and when
fed to cattle and hogs brings SO good a
price, corn may be said to be the main
crop of the county. the acreage plant
ed to it each year probably exceeding
that given to all other crops together.
Wheat yields well in the bottoms,
and farmers owning bottom lands sow
large fields each year and generally
get good returns. 1t does not do so
well on the uplands. however. and of
late years but few upland farmers have
attempted to raise it.
Oats yield splendidly. fifty and sixty
bushels to the acre being not unusual.
Even this year we know Of fields that
averaged more than forty bushels to
the acre. Very little surplus is raised.
however. most farmers sowing only
enough for their own use.
OF late years flax and broom corn
have been largely cultivated and in the
main with most satisfactory results.
One strong argument in favor of
these crops is that they can be
harvested when no other farm work
is pressing. and put upon the market
in July and August. before other crops
can be made available.
All kinds of large and small fruits
and all kinds of vegetables, suited to
this latitude grow here in the greatest
perfection and when properly cared for
may be made II source of large revenue.
Only a few days ago upon questioning
"a farmer who was unloading some fine
Irish potatoes ut one of our stores, he
informed us that he had dug 200
bushels from little less than an acre
of ground. He sold them ut an average
price of 80 cents per bushel. We only
mention this as an illustration of what
may be done in this line. 1t is i'm
| possible, of course, to give the prices
which the various productions of the
garden and orchard command, for the
reason that they are constantly chang
ing; but the market in the city of lola
is always good for the reason that our
excellent shipping facilities enable our
merchants to handle all the produce
that may be offered without regard to
the home demand.
In discussing this topic, however. it
should be understood that very little
crclusiUe farming is done here. 1t is
always carried on in connection with
stock raising. This fact accounts for
the large acreage of corn annually
planted. If it had to be thrown direct
ly upon the market at the prices that
have ruled here for several years. it
would yield but a poor return fer the
labor and time spent in its cultivation.
But only the smallest part of the an
nual yield is thus put upon the market.
BY far the greater part Of it is fed to
cattle and hogs. and as beef and pork
it commands twice or thrice what it
would bring if sold as corn. While for
this reason, rs we have stated. corn is
the principal crop, yet nearly all our
farmers give more or less ground each
year to some two or more of the other
crops we have mentioned. SO that in
case one fails they may have another to
fall back on. This diversity of crops
is being practiced more and moro
every year with very gratifying re-
svlts,